The Quote of the Year:

“Basically, parents are telling you, ‘Start my son, start him at the right position, make sure he’s happy, keep him drug free, keep him eligible and, by the way, make sure he gets a scholarship.”’

--Irvine Football Coach Terry Henigan, on parental expectations.

Best of the rest:

“I sent for a priest in the sixth inning, and he still hasn’t shown up.”

--El Toro baseball Coach Dan DeLeon, after the Chargers’ 18-5 loss to Capistrano Valley in the 4-A semifinals.

“A league championship and the (Sports Illustrated) swimsuit issue all in the same day.”

--Coach Steve Keith, after watching Irvine win its first basketball league title since the school opened in 1976.

“It’s kind of bizarre. I’m starting to worry about it.”

--Savanna basketball Coach Kevin Kiernan, on worrying.

“The last time someone spoke that highly of me, my wallet was stolen.”

--Capistrano Valley football Coach Eric Patton, after listening to rival Coach Jon Looney of Brea-Olinda praise him as one of the county’s great coaches.

“It was like me playing Nerf ball against the door with my kids. He was a man.”

--Gary McKnight on Marina’s Cherokee Parks, after Marina eliminated Mater Dei in the Southern Section semifinals.

“We want to be part of the solution, not the problem.”

--Monsignor Michael Harris, Santa Margarita principal, explaining his school’s request to join a county public league.

“They’re in a league by themselves, at least in our league.”

--Frank McCarroll, La Habra boys’ basketball coach, on Sunny Hills.

“How can we cut $166,964 in sports when the superintendent of our school district (Peter Hartman) makes nearly that or more every year?”

--Laguna Hills water polo player Mike DeVries, on the Saddleback Valley Unified School District’s proposal to eliminate several sports because of budget deficits.

“I look up to her, and I always tell her, ‘When you turn pro, you’d better let me be your caddie.”’

--Laguna Hills golfer Darren Richards, on teammate and female golfer extraordinaire Eunice Choi.

“It was a little thing with an aerosol can and a lighter.”

--Brand Caso, Capistrano Valley catcher, on why he was expelled from a prep school in Connecticut.

“Cannon-fodder for the starters.”

--El Toro basketball reserve Mike Froome, when asked what his role, and that of fellow benchwarmers, was on the team.

“She’s a good girl. The answer will be yes.”

--Norwegian exchange student and Corona del Mar soccer player Ola Karoliussen on the banner--” Ola--Winter Formal??? “--that hung from the Sea Kings’ soccer goal.

“I think my headphones were too tight or something. I called some bad plays.”

--Mark Miller, Rancho Alamitos football coach, after a 54-20 victory over Los Amigos.

“It is my way of saying, ‘Hey, good game.”’

--Mater Dei running back Derek Sparks, in a released statement explaining and apologizing for his victory dance in front of the Loyola sidelines after a 3-0 victory.

“Are you sure those are catches and not carries?”

--Villa Park defensive back Micah Ramirez, after watching Los Alamitos split end Tyler Cashman catch 12 passes for 137 yards in the first half.

“Welcome to the Southern Section, Lyle.”

--Southern Section Commissioner Stan Thomas, after listening to Mater Dei Principal Lyle Porter detail running back Derek Sparks’ transfer to the parochial school for 19 minutes in a general council meeting.

“We’re going to end up in court. Whoever loses will take us to court, and some judge will tell us how to run our business, and life will go on.”

--Stan Thomas, after a section releaguing committee refused to allow Orange County Catholic schools in public leagues.

“We hate Corona del Mar so much. I mean, they’re nice people, but we hate them.”

--Saddleback distance runner Joey Herdia on rival Corona del Mar.

“Let me tell you, that boy is quick. That homeboy is fast. Some kind of turbos kicked in.”

--Huntington Beach hurdler Adrian Brown on Isaac Carson of Daly City Jefferson.

“You’re soaking up drugs

“Like a buttermilk biscuit

“I say ‘That’ll kill you,’

“You say, ‘I’ll risk it . . . ‘ “

--Brown, performing a rap song in between races at the Mt. SAC Invitational.

“We’ve seen so many homecoming games, we’ve thought about buying tuxedos for our coaching staff.”

--Costa Mesa football Coach Tom Baldwin.

“Any time you’re taken from the high top of the mountain and knocked into Marianas trench there’s going to be disappointment,”

--Huntington Beach football Coach George Pascoe, whose team went from 4-0 to 5-4 overall and was knocked out of playoff contention.

“Because Western hasn’t done a diddly-damn and I don’t give a Colorado-boom-dee-day about sports these days anyway.”

--Roger Anderson, a 70-year-old Anaheim resident, explaining why he hasn’t attended many Western football games this year.